This bill, titled the "PHMSA Voluntary Information Sharing Act," requires the Secretary of Transportation to establish a confidential and nonpunitive voluntary information-sharing system (VIS) within one year of enactment. The primary purpose of the VIS is to enhance the safety of various pipeline facilities, including gas transmission, gas distribution, liquefied natural gas facilities, underground natural gas storage facilities, and hazardous liquid pipelines. It is designed to gather, evaluate, and quantify critical pipeline safety data and information, and to efficiently share recommended remediation measures and lessons learned across the pipeline industry in a confidential manner.

The VIS will be governed by a Governing Board, supported by a Program Manager, a Third-Party Data Manager, and Issue Analysis Teams. The Governing Board, to be established within 180 days, will comprise 15 members representing a balanced cross-section of pipeline safety stakeholders, including federal/state government, industry, and public safety advocacy organizations. This board will provide strategic oversight, develop governance documents, select the Third-Party Data Manager, approve data criteria, establish Issue Analysis Teams, and determine what information and reports the VIS disseminates publicly, including annual reports on safety trends and investigations.

The Administrator of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) will serve as the Program Manager, overseeing day-to-day operations. A Third-Party Data Manager, appointed by the Governing Board, will be responsible for receiving, securing, de-identifying, storing, and analyzing submitted pipeline safety data. Issue Analysis Teams, composed of technical experts, will collaborate with the Third-Party Data Manager to analyze specific safety issues and provide recommendations to the Governing Board. Participation in the VIS and the submission of data are entirely voluntary, and the system will not accept data without operator authorization.

A core provision of the bill is the strict confidentiality of nonpublic information submitted to the VIS. This data is exempt from disclosure under other laws, including the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and generally cannot be used as evidence in litigation or to initiate enforcement actions against pipeline operators. Exceptions apply for evidence of criminal violations or data otherwise required to be reported to regulatory authorities. The Secretary is also directed to explore sustainable funding sources for the VIS, including public-private partnerships, and may collect additional fees for its establishment and management.